Chip cards can be used very diversely, for example for making payment transactions, as identification documents for access controls, as proof of authorization for using a mobile phone system, etc. For this purpose, the chip cards have implemented thereon applications in the form of hardware or software that provide the particular desired functionality. In view of the multiplicity of possible uses and the associated multiplicity of functionalities, there is an increasing tendency to implement a plurality of applications on the same chip card. For each implementation of an application an entry referring to the implementation is provided in a memory of the chip card, so that each implementation is accessible through an associated entry in the memory of the chip card and the corresponding application can be invoked via said entry. This procedure has proved very useful but presupposes that sufficient capacity is available on the chip card to implement a plurality of applications. The chip card must thus be dimensioned considerably larger with regard to its memory size or other hardware features compared to a chip card with only one implemented application, which in turn results in increased production costs of the chip card.
The invention is based on the problem of equipping a chip card with an extended functionality using as little effort as possible.